Review

On first blush, NBC's “1600 Penn” comes across as another one of those comedies with a chubby, idiot man-boy at its center. But it's also, at times, kind of charming, too.

“1600 Penn,” which had a sneak preview last month, has its time-slot premiere Thursday at 9:30 p.m. It may be NBC's first real effort to broaden its comedies, the stated goal of network executives.

Compared with recent Thursday-night fare on the network (“Parks and Recreation,” “Community,” “30 Rock”), “1600 Penn” is indeed broader. It's essentially a family sitcom that happens to be set in the White House. But it's not complete pabulum.

There is an edge to the humor, not as sharp as past Thursday comedies', but certainly not as dull as, say, ABC's “Last Man Standing” or “Malibu Country.”

“1600 Penn” is focused in its pilot episode squarely on Skip Gilchrist (Josh Gad, “Back to You”), the not-so-bright son of U.S. President Dale Gilchrist (Bill Pullman, “Independence Day”). Skip has been in college for seven years and has a penchant for wreaking dimwitted havoc wherever he goes.

Whether you find idiot-man-boy humor hilarious or dull will determine your first impression of the show. Personally, I'm not a fan. But two subsequent episodes NBC sent for review show more promise.

When Skip is used more as a garnish and not the focus, his character is less annoying and more amusing. It also gives the other characters their turn in the spotlight, including eldest daughter Becca (Martha MacIsaac, “Superbad”), the take-charge good girl who gets knocked up in a rare fit of irresponsibility.

The show is serialized, with the story building as it centers on how the first family, the press and the public deal with news of Becca's pregnancy. Skip, trying to be helpful, only makes matter worse when he tells reporters, “She doesn't even know the guy's name, so don't bother asking.”

An upcoming episode introduces D.B. (Robbie Amell), the guy who got Becca pregnant, and he's as dull of mind as Skip. But the pair make an odd couple: D.B. is as superfit as Skip is a lard puck. This visual juxtaposition pairs nicely with their similar personalities, leading to some funny, sweet bonding moments.

Whether that's going to continue or is even enough to keep “1600 Penn” interesting in the long term remains to be seen, but if producers continue to use Skip judiciously rather than building stories around him, “1600 Penn” may be on the right track.

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